The US must heed the ripple effect caused by its opposition to Taiwan's UN bid because it might cause anti-US sentiment and strengthen Taiwan's determination to pursue its goal, analysts attending a forum said yesterday.
A poll made public by Taiwan Thinktank yesterday showed that the popularity of the US in the eyes of Taiwanese had declined by 15 percent over the past year, dropping from 32 percent one year ago to 17 percent.
The poll, conducted between last Thursday and Sunday with 1,068 respondents, found that 38 percent said they had the best impression of the Japanese. Seventeen percent named Americans, 10 percent Koreans and 7 percent Chinese.
Nearly 29 percent said they did not know or declined to answer.
Compared with a poll conducted in August last year, 35 percent of respondents said they had the most favorable impression of the Japanese.
Thirty-two percent named Americans, nearly 11 percent Koreans and approximately 9 percent Chinese.
Soochow University political science professor Lo Chih-cheng (
Lo was referring to the comments made by Dennis Wilder, senior director for East Asian affairs at the National Security Council, who told reporters last Thursday that the nationhood of Taiwan was an undecided issue and that Taiwan was therefore not qualified to become a member of the international body.
US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said on Aug. 27 that the US government opposes Taiwan's plan for a referendum because Washington views such activity as a move toward a declaration of independence.
While more than 50 percent of People First Party (PFP) supporters said they had the best impression of Americans, Yan Jiann-fa (
While Singapore was the first to voice its opposition to Taiwan's UN bid, almost 77 percent of respondents said they disagreed with Singapore's statement.
Lin Cheng-yi (
Lin pointed out that respondents aged between 20 and 29 had the least favorable impression of China, followed by those aged between 50 and 59.
Describing Taiwan's referendum bid as a "two-level game," Soochow University political science professor Hsu Yung-ming (
Hsu said that he wondered whether the US was actually opposing the referendum because it knew its opposition to the poll would have the affect of stoking public support for it among the Taiwanese.
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
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